Monkey Man is the directorial debut film for actor Dev Patel, and the first trailer for the film has him going on a rampage of revenge against the rich elite who are responsible for the murder of his mother. Inspired by the Hindu deity Hanuman, the film stars Patel as he channels his inner John Wick to enact his vengeance.
According to the official synopsis, “Monkey Man stars Patel as Kid, an anonymous young man who ekes out a meager living in an underground fight club where, night after night, wearing a gorilla mask, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters for cash. After years of suppressed rage, Kid discovers a way to infiltrate the enclave of the city’s sinister elite. As his childhood trauma boils over, his mysteriously scarred hands unleash an explosive campaign of retribution to settle the score with the men who took everything from him.”
The film is being produced by Jordan Peele and his aptly named studio, Monkeypaw Productions. The cast also includes Sharlto Copley, Sobhita Dhulipala, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma, Ashwini Kalsekar, Adithi Kalkunte, Sikandar Kher, and Makarand Deshpande. Brahim Chab is in charge of the fight choreography and judging just from the first trailer it is going to be absolutely wild.
Dev Patel made his acting debut in 2008’s Slumdog Millionaire and has gone on to star in films including Lion, The Green Knight, and most recently the Oscar nominated short film, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. Monkey Man will be his first time behind the camera. In addition, he is credited as a co-writer alongside Paul Angunawela and John Collee.
Monkey Man will release in theaters on April 5, 2024.
